How Tinnitus Could Alter Your View of the World

It’s just a little noise in your ear, right? When you put it that way, it sounds harmless but the reality is that tinnitus alters your view of things right from day one. Tinnitus is not a real noise but it still takes a toll and not in a good way. For some sufferers, it is a life changer that gets in the way of talking to others, a good night’s sleep and the ability to concentrate. It alters your perception of your world by interfering with many different parts of it. To understand how this happens you need to know more about this condition.

Tinnitus: What is it?

Tinnitus means you hear noises that no one else can hear. People think of it as a condition but it is actually a symptom of something else like the age-related hearing loss. If you have tinnitus, it is important to know many other people do too. According to the American Tinnitus Association, about 15 percent of the U.S. population have tinnitus at some level.

Tinnitus can be different for everyone, as well. Some people hear ringing in their ears while others describe it as:

Buzzing

Wind blowing

Clicking

These are all sounds indicative of tinnitus.

What Causes Tinnitus?

That tells you a lot but it doesn’t explain the cause of tinnitus. Tinnitus is a bit of a medical mystery, in part, because there may be more than one cause. For many, it is a symptom of profound hearing loss. The brain gets used to hearing sounds all the time because it’s always around you. It’s there when you go for a walk or read a book. There is some kind of noise even as you sit in a quiet room.

Noise is always there for your ears pick up on even if it is slight. Faint sound creates small waves that the brain can interpret. It then decides whether you actually should hear the noise or not.

When someone develops hearing loss things changes gradually. Over time, the sound stops coming to the brain the way it used to, so it tries to figure out why. Researchers believe that it tries to fix the problem by creating the ringing, buzzing or wind sound associated with tinnitus. It would rather “hear” a phantom noise then live in silence.

There are other medical problems that can cause tinnitus beside age-related hearing loss such as:

Ear canal blockage

Head or neck trauma

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)

Sinus conditions

Traumatic brain injury

Ototoxic drugs

Metabolic disorders such as hypothyroid

An autoimmune disorder like Lyme disease or fibromyalgia

Circulatory disorders such as high blood pressure

Vestibular disorders like thoracic outlet syndrome

Tumor-related disorders such as acoustic neuroma

If you suddenly notice the phantom noises of tinnitus, it is time to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. You need to find out why you have this problem and to rule out very serious medical concerns like high blood pressure.

Why Does Tinnitus Impact How You See the World?

Tinnitus has a negative impact on most people and even faint ringing in the ears can be distracting. The irritation of not being able to turn it on and off can lead to:

Depression

Anxiety

Emotional distress

Mood swings

Sleep disturbances

Irritability

Poor concentration

People with severe tinnitus are at risk for:

Social isolation

Unemployment

Sleep deprivation

Anxiety disorders

Major depressive disorder

The loss of control and frustration can bleed through to everything else you do.

What Can You Do About Tinnitus?

Make an appointment with your doctor to talk about your options. If the cause is hearing loss, getting a hearing aid for that ear may help. Hearing aids amplify sound, so your brain starts getting the daily noise once again. White noise machines simulate environmental sounds when you take your hearing aids out like at night. You can also try to create your own kind of noise with a fan or by running a dehumidifier.

Perception is a word that describes your awareness of the world around you. That improves when you eliminate the distracting noise of tinnitus.